I'm going to San Francisco for the first time

[InfiniteNothing]

I've never been there but I'm excited. I fly in Friday at about 6pm. Who's from there, where do I have to eat, what do I have to see? Who want's to give me cheap room and board (maybe)? Who want's to give me a tour and show me around? I should dress warmly right? no shorts? Will there be snow?!? please?

I'm going for the National AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineering) student conference at the Hilton. I come back on Monday.

[ski]

<Lawrence_from_Office_Space>
Watch your cornhole, man
</Lawrence_from_Office_Space>

I used to live in SF... I have joke immunity there :halo:

Going out to the Golden Gate Bridge is the standard part of a SF visit. If you're into photography and can get out there early early in the morning (before your conference) or as the sun sets, you'll get some really gorgeous shots of the bridge and the water. As far as excitement goes, hopefully another G|A member can help you there... I was too young to enjoy the good stuff when I was there :)

[InfiniteNothing]

yeah, I should have plenty of time to walk about and sight see. unfortunatly I'm a year shy of drinking age.

[cheapchinese]

fisherman's wharf...
dunno why thats my main memory of my visit up there

food~~~

[Ladogaboy]

It really depends on what you are into. SF doesn't have a whole lot for me, but it does have a nice park, nice beaches, and interesting shopping. You could go bar-crawling in your choice of either gay or straight bars. I can't remember exactly where they are right now--my memory of that is just a little blurred :heh:--, but just ask around. Some of the best restaurants are hole-in-the-walls, so don't be afraid to walk into just about any place and order some grub. As far as clothing, definitely dress warm. Shorts aren't necessarily a bad thing, but depending on how you look in them :naughty: , you might reconsider. Seriously, though, SF can be bone chillingly cold, so always, always have at least a warm jacket with you.

[PCC]

San Francisco has many many many different styles of restaurants. It's about as cosmopolitan as it gets when it comes to food.

Yes, it's cold up here. We're in the 50's to 60's now. It might rain when you are here. No snow, though. It has only snowed in San Francisco two times in written history. Closest snow right now would be in the Sierras, three to four hours away.

As for where to go and what to do, there's the Golden Gate bridge, Golden Gate park, South of Market (AKA SOMA), Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39, downtown (though on a Sunday, it's more of a ghost town), Twin Peaks (on a clear day you have about a 225 degree view of the San Francisco peninsula), old Chinatown, new Chinatown, Japantown. There's more but living here, I tend to forget these places.

Places to avoid: Tenderloin (near City Hall - just a poor part of town), Bayview/Hunter's Point (south-east corner of the city, this is probably the worst part of the city - nothing to see here, unless you like to see drug dealers doing their thing), and 16th at Mission (in the heart of the city - lots of Mexican culture but it can be seedy, really seedy).

Any other questions?